You Think You're A Man
by GiggleTwins
Summary: A heist gone wrong leaves KID and Shinichi in a precarious situation with time running out to fix the problem.
1. Get KID!

Disclaimer: The Giggle Twins own nothing besides the plot and no profit is being made from this besides amusement. They will return all characters to their proper owners when they are done.

Kaito: Now if only they'd sent a heist notice it would be in true Kaitou fashion…

**Chapter One**

KID grinned as the door closed behind him, leaving the cool night breeze as his only companion. "Excellent," he purred, eyes scanning the empty garden rooftop. So far the heist was going extremely well despite, or perhaps because of, the presence of the three tantei. His grin grew wider as he held tonight's prize up to the moon. The Blue Ocean sapphire, on loan to the Sapphire Sea Hotel for its Grand Opening, stayed stubbornly blue and he lowered it again with a sigh. Time to prepare for his grand finale and exit.

Many floors below KID pandemonium reigned. Task Force officers picked themselves up off the floor and pulled themselves free of the booby traps KID had left behind. "Track him down!" Nakamori-keibu bellowed. "Don't let him get away!"

"It is likely that he has headed for the roof," put in Hakuba as he finished freeing himself from the brightly colored duct tape which had temporarily taken him out of the game.

A snort answered him. "Don't ya think that's just a little too obvious? Everyone knows KID can fly."

"But that's why he'll do it, Heiji-niisan," Conan piped up, little boy act in full force. "He wants us there for whatever he has planned." Really, KID's entire act tonight had been too simple, beginning with the heist notice which had been delivered to the station two days prior. _Poseidon's careful watch is lost when Maia dances round the gleaming stone. Selene in splendor full arises and Hermes bows as he accepts the dance._ Poseidon was the Greek god of the oceans and the Blue Ocean sapphire had been the only stone on display that matched up with that. Maia was a Greek nymph often associated with the month of May and Selene was a Greek moon goddess. That meant that the heist was to take place on the full moon in May. Hermes was the Greek god of thieves. The whole thing had just been too easy. KID was up to something.

Nakamori-keibu jerked his radio up to his mouth. "All units to the roof! Move it men!" He turned back to the three detectives. "You three stay out of the way!"

KID glanced at his watch and sighed. "So slow tonight, tantei. You're off your game." _No doubt they will be here soon, though. I'll give them another minute before I take off._ The plan was a simple one but KID wanted his audience there to witness it. Rather than escape via the somewhat predictable means of using his glider, he had arranged to "disappear" from the roof. Jii was waiting on the roof of one of the neighboring buildings (the only one nearby which was lower than the hotel) to fire a zip line across to the thief. KID would then vanish in a flash of light and smoke, hide his white suit under a dark cloak, and slide down the wire. Once safely on the other roof he would cut the wire and make his escape.

As if on cue he saw the stairwell door slam open and heard Nakamori-keibu's distinctive bellow. "There he is! Get him!" KID offered a jaunty wave to Task Force and tantei alike. "Took you long enough," he said with a saucy grin. "I shall now bid you all a fond farewell as I vanish before your very eyes."

He turned to run only to find himself inexplicably face-down in the dirt and gravel of the rooftop. _Owwww_, was his first thought, followed quickly by, _what the heck just happened? Did I trip? I never trip!_ He tried to get to his feet only to fall back to the dirt, arms and legs useless. _This can't be happening!_ He thought wildly. _Did Tantei-kun manage to hit me with one of his darts?_

A glance down revealed that his clothes appeared to be much larger than they were previously, hands no longer visible below his cuffs. _I'm shrinking? Well, at least that explains how I tripped. Is this what happened to Tantei-kun? Never mind that now, Kaito, the Task Force is only a little ways behind you! Mind on the present and figure out how to get out of this!_ Another attempt to get up failed and everything suddenly went black around him.

Before KID could gather his thoughts enough to figure out what the heck had happened now he heard the thunder of approaching feet and felt the vibrations of dozens of people surrounding him. "Damn it! That son of a bitch got away again! How the hell did he do that?" Ah, yes, there was the Nakamori-keibu he knew and loved. The language had seemed awfully tame before all this. Now, maybe if he just lay here very still, they wouldn't find him like this….however "this" was.

"Why would the guy leave his costume behind?" With the Osaka accent that had to be Tantei-han speaking. KID really wished he could see but he didn't dare try to move again with so many people surrounding him. Hakuba's cultured voice answered the Osaka-jin's question. "That is remarkably odd. KID never leaves any part of his normal uniform behind on a heist. Too much risk of leaving trace evidence behind."

"It's probably a fake, part of his trick to make us think he really did disappear," Conan's small voice interjected. "We should fan out, check the area for any clues."

"Just stay out of the f…" Nakamori broke off abruptly as he forcefully reminded himself that no matter how big of a pain the Edogawa boy was, he was still a child. "Just stay out of the way!" He amended himself. "This is my crime scene and I don't need kids poking their noses where they don't belong!" The Task Force quickly split up to search the roof for any signs of KID.

_This is not happening. Did Akako do this to me? Why would she do this? _KID thought frantically, everything around him still black. He strained his ears for any sounds. _"I can't let them find me, but why is it getting so hard to breathe? _

He must have made some faint noise because the next thing he heard was Conan's voice saying, "Listen! Did you hear something?" Dead silence followed this for several heartbeats as KID struggled to breathe. "I do hear something. It's very faint but it sounds like it's coming from under KID's hat."

_No! Nononono! I can't be found. Even if it is hard to breathe right now it's better than being caught! _Suddenly he found himself blinking rapidly in the nearly blinding glare of half a dozen flashlights as his top hat was lifted away by one Edogawa Conan.

"A gold fish?" Hattori exclaimed incredulously. "Seriously? What the hell was the guy thinkin' of, leaving a gold fish out of water like this jus' for a stupid joke?"

KID breathed a sigh of relief at his apparent escape before the rest of Hattori's words registered. _A gold f..f..fish? I don't have any of those…those…things!_ Utterly terrified now and beyond even the hope of using Poker Face, KID attempted to scramble backwards only to find himself flopping uselessly against the jumble of his white suit.

"That poor fish is going to die if we do not get it into water soon," Hakuba pointed out. "Conan-kun, I believe I see a koi pond to your left. May I suggest you transport the fish over to it as quickly as you are able?" Conan nodded and reached down for the struggling fish.

Lightheaded from lack of air and terrified from the thought of being so near one of those evil scaly things, as well as the possibility of being caught, KID didn't immediately notice what Conan was reaching for until two hands wrapped around him and lifted him into the air.

_Oh kami-sama! I'm the f…f…fish! _He stared in horror at the other fish swimming in the koi pond Conan was about to put him into. His panicked escape attempt failed miserably, resulting in him flipping out of Conan's hands and directly into the pond with an incongruously large splash.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Kaito sat bolt upright in bed, shivering from a cold sweat that plastered his clothes to his body. He nearly leaped from the bed in his rush to reach the bathroom where he stared at himself in the mirror, trying to convince his terrified mind that it had only been a dream. At last he drew in a shaky breath and splashed cool water on his face. "Just a dream. It was just a dream." _Too realistic though, right down to the timing of the heist note._ His dream self had conducted the heist during May's full moon, less than a week away.

Returning to his room Kaito pulled a fresh set of pajamas from his dresser and got changed. As he did so he noted the glowing numbers of his alarm clock. _3 AM. At least 'Kaasan has the night shift tonight. She won't be back for another few hours._ The last thing he wanted to do was to wake her up because of a bad dream. "What am I, seven? Sheesh." He quickly and efficiently stripped the sweat soaked sheets from his bed, remaking it with a clean set. _Gotta get some sleep. Exams later today._ His last thought as he rolled back into bed was _stupid fish._


	2. Mop Chases and Murders

_Author's Note:_ Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed Chapter One. Thank you also to those you added us to alert or favorites lists. We are very happy you have enjoyed the story thus far. Here is Chapter Two for your viewing pleasure. Sadly, we will not be able to maintain a once a week posting schedule, though we will try very hard to keep to an every two week schedule. Now, on with the show!

_Edit: We have corrected the newspaper article to reflect the proper type of stone. Sorry about the mix-up._

**Chapter Two: Mop Chases and Murders**

The loud beeping of his alarm clock dragged Kaito from the remnants of his night's sleep. He groaned as he fumbled for his snooze button without opening his eyes. When this failed to produce the desired results he cracked one bleary eye open to stare balefully at the offending object. He gave another dramatic groan as he dragged himself out of bed. While he was used to operating on less sleep than most, last night's dream had ensured that his sleep was not at all restful. _At least there wasn't an encore, _he though with a great deal of relief. The dream had felt entirely too real as well as being both bizarre and terrifying. _If I ever come across a gemstone named Blue Ocean Sapphire I'm not going to get anywhere near it! Besides, it's not like it was even the right one in that dream._

Kaito's mother chose that moment to call up to him from somewhere downstairs, "Kaito! You're going to be late to school if you don't hurry up and your breakfast is starting to get cold!" A KID-worthy grin spread across his features as he yanked his school uniform on. Leave it to Kaasan to fix him breakfast even after a long shift at work. Still buttoning up his jacket he headed downstairs. The scent of natto and tamagoyki wafted up to him as descended the stairs and with a loud whoop he dashed the rest of the way into the kitchen. "Morning, Kaasan!" he said cheerfully as she handed him a loaded plate. He wasted no time at all in devouring the food and so her return greeting of "Good morning, Kaito. Did you sleep well?" was met with a noncommittal grin and a waving hand to indicate he couldn't reply around the mouthful of food. The moment Kaito finished his breakfast he set his plate in the sink and bounded out the door, calling cheerfully behind him, "Bye, Kaasan! Gotta meet Aoko!"

The walk to school was much the same as usual. Determined to shake the lingering uneasiness from last night's dream, Kaito picked a fight with Aoko early in the walk and spent the remainder of the walk dodging her viciously swung school satchel. The chase ended once they reached school grounds and the two friends chatted amiably as they walked towards their classroom. Keiko snagged Aoko as soon as they entered the room, begging for help on one of the concepts they would be tested on later that day. Kaito took the opportunity to take his seat, producing his newspaper with his usual flourish. An article on the front page immediately caught his eye.

_Starting May 20__th__ and running through June 30__th__ the Traveler's Tear, said to be the world's largest alexandrite, will be on display at the Edo-Tokyo Museum along with many other treasures owned by the Yasuhiro family. The museum is proud to host such a fabulous collection of priceless treasures. The Traveler's Tear itself is one of the rarest…._

The newspaper was suddenly yanked from his hands and the angry face of his best friend glared at him over the top of the confiscated paper. "Hey! Aoko!"

"How can you be just be sitting here reading the newspaper? We should be studying for our exams and you promised you'd help me!" Aoko's glare intensified when she noticed the article he'd been reading. "Touchan thinks KID is going to try stealing that stone. He's been trying to get permission to begin preliminary security procedures set up but nobody will listen to him since there hasn't been a warning notice. Idiots! They should know Touchan has the most experience with that stupid thief!"

Deciding it would be best to distract Aoko from this train of thought quickly, Kaito caused the paper to vanish from Aoko's hands and reappear in his own. "Heh, even if they did listen to him it wouldn't make any difference. Nobody is ever going to catch KID." _Of course, it looks like he'll be right this time. That stone is worth checking out. Eh, maybe the fact that he was right will get some of the higher ups off his back for not catching me yet. That ought to make Aoko happy. _As they always did when he performed his magic for her, Aoko's eyes held a moment of wonder before her anger at his comment caught up to her. Then the wonder was replaced by battle fire as her trusty mop was swung fiercely at his head. "What do you know anyway, you jerk! You can't even keep your own promises about helping me study!"

Kaito ducked out of the way of the first swing as they began the familiar rhythm of ducking, dodging, and weaving about the classroom. "I am helping you. Solve this equation for x. (x cos y)3 + 3x where y is the number of people who have ever or will ever catch KID."

"That's not funny!" Aoko shouted as she raised the mop for another power swing at his head. Before she could follow through on the move they were stopped by a yell from the front of the classroom. "That's enough! There are exams today and I will not tolerate this behavior from the two of you. Now take your seats."

"Yes Ma'am!" they chorused as they both hastened to obey. Privately, Kaito grinned to himself. He was certain that Aoko would do fine on her exams as long as she did not succumb to nerves. Right now she was doubtless too annoyed with him to be nervous. _Mission accomplished._

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Conan rolled over on his futon to stare out the window, his face a mask of frustration. It was quiet at the Mouri home tonight and for some reason he couldn't seem to fathom this was serving to set him further on edge rather than helping to calm his nerves. Mouri himself was out playing Mahjong and Ran was in her room, presumably doing homework or talking on the phone with Sonoko. He rolled over again, staring up at the ceiling and kicking restlessly at the foot of his bed. The lights which occasionally passed over the room from the sweeping headlights of cars became his focus as he allowed his mind to wander. _How did this day manage to go from bad to worse so quickly?_

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The morning started off normally enough. Conan walked with Ran until the rest of the Shonen Tantei joined them after which they parted ways, each going towards their own school. It was upon reaching the elementary school gates that things began to go wrong. Conan knew something was up the moment Ayumi began fidgeting and scuffing her toes against the ground. He managed to pretend obliviousness until after they had exchanged their outdoor shoes for school scuffs, however. By that time, Ayumi was fed up with waiting for him to notice her and planted herself directly in front of him, hands on her hips and a determined look on her face. Conan felt a sinking feeing in the pit of his stomach as he realized she had finally decided to act on the crush she had been harboring for the past year.

"Um, Conan-kun…I…um…what I mean is…" At that point, Conan decided it would be best for both of them to cut her off before she could get any farther. Trying to let her down as gently as possible he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Ayumi, listen to me. You're a really good friend, one of the best I've ever had. Let's just keep it that way, okay?" Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on her reaction or the extreme over protectiveness exhibited by Genta and Mitsuhiko. Ayumi's face crumpled as she understood what Conan was saying and she turned, racing down the hallway even as the tears began to fall from her eyes. Genta and Mitsuhiko both turned on Conan, fury written across their faces and shouting in unison. "Nobody makes Ayumi cry!"

Though Conan did his best to run away, the ensuing fight ended with all three of them in the principal's office and phone calls were made to their respective parents and guardians. Conan's mood did not improve when Ayumi cornered him again after school. Blushing furiously she said, "Conan-kun? I'm sorry about what happened earlier. Ai-chan told me about how girls mature sooner than boys do so I'll wait, ok?" All Conan could do was smile and nod even as he mentally threw his hands in the air. _Oi oi._ Seeing that Ayumi had forgiven Conan the other two were quick to do the same, though Conan managed to ditch them in order to have some time to himself on the walk home.

Desperately needing to clear his head after the events of the day, and in no hurry to go home and face Ran's wrath, Conan decided to walk home along the river bank. He was strolling near the water's edge, kicking his soccer ball around as he often did when feeling frustrated, when he noticed something out of place just a little further upstream. A closer look revealed a body, facedown in the water and partially washed up on the bank. _Not again…._All signs pointed to a recent death. Reluctant to disturb the crime scene more than necessary, Conan stepped back from the edge to call Megure-keibu.

As he waited for the police to arrive he surveyed the scene further, noting the lack of footprints in the vicinity besides his own. It appeared the killer had struck the victim from behind with a blunt object before throwing the body into the river at some point further upstream. _Whoever it was seems to have ignored the fact that bodies float. If they're this careless, hopefully they'll be easy to catch._ Shortly thereafter, Megure arrived with Takagi and Sato in tow. So used were they to Conan's peculiarities that not once did it occur to them to send him home after they arrived, instead letting him wander as he pleased and listening without noticing to his hints. By the time the case was solved and the woman's murderer in custody it was quite late and Takagi at last offered him a ride home.

Conan had all but forgotten the events at school and received a rather forceful reminder the moment he walked in the door. A furious Ran confronted him the moment the door closed behind him and he cringed as she lectured him on responsibility, decorum, and proper behavior. Just as he thought she was winding down she took a deep breath and began again. "And another thing! Don't you _ever_ worry me like this again. You've been gone for hours, no one knew where you were and you didn't so much as call to let me know you were all right. This is inexcusable! Getting caught up at a crime scene is something Shinichi should be doing, not a seven year old boy! At the very least you should have called to let me know where you were. I shouldn't have to figure it out from having Takagi-keiji drop you off _again_. Shinichi may never have learned to take responsibility for such things but you most certainly are!"

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Conan pounded a fist into his pillow. "Aaargh!" _Grounded for a week for something that wasn't really my fault._ He had been unable to sway Ran from her decision or get her to listen to his side of the story. _I'm eighteen for Kami's sake! This is ridiculous. _He stood, walking over to lean on the window sill. _The truth is I'm just so _tired. _Haibara is no closer to a cure than she was when we began. When is something going to change?_


	3. The SetUp

_**Authors' Note:**__ We apologize for the week long delay in posting. We are trying to maintain a two chapter lead on posting and sadly we didn't get chapters 4 and 5 finished in time to post 3 last week. _

_Believe it or not we actually did some research for this chapter, some of which we'd like to share with our readers. First of all, we make no claims to speaking Japanese but some internet research provided us with Kaito's alias. We believe it means "Treasure Huntress" which we found amusing. We also spent a lot of time pouring over the pictures and floor plans of this museum in order to write this chapter and plan the heist, though we took a bit of creative license on where the gem would be displayed. Last of all, we couldn't find anything about how exams are scored in Japan so we, being the geeks that we are, went with how they did it in Tales of Symphonia and made everything out of 400 points._

**Chapter Three: The Set-Up**

On Sunday, Kaito stepped off the train at the Ryogoku station wearing a simple skirt and blouse combination and carrying what appeared to be a school satchel. A quick stop in the ladies' room assured him that his makeup and wig were still intact before heading off in the direction of the Edo-Tokyo Museum. He hummed quietly as he walked, occasionally skipping a few steps, appearing for all the world like a carefree young girl. Though not a hint of it appeared on his face, internally he was grinning. _I must have been here a dozen times but this'll be the first time I've ever scoped it out for a heist._

The walk was short, only a block, and soon the museum's front entrance was in view. Kaito carefully avoided the tiled pool out front. The goldfish tiled into the bottom of the pool were _not_ what he needed after his recent dream. The cool air of the museum's interior washed over him as passed through the front doors, school satchel swinging in front of him. The young man behind the ticket counter appeared to be in his early twenties and he smiled indulgently as Kaito skipped up.

Kaito smiled winningly as he stopped in front of the counter, expression all innocence as he swung his satchel around behind him, holding the handle with both hands. The fact that this drew attention to his artfully realistic chest was something he pretended to have no knowledge of. "Good morning, sir," he greeted shyly, looking up through his lashes at the man.

"G…good m…morning, m…miss," the young man stuttered, flustered by the apparently unintentional flirting. He visibly gathered his composure before continuing in a more professional tone. "Here for a school project?"

"Sure am!" Kaito fidgeted, twisting slightly from side to side as he spoke, hands still clutching his school bag behind him. He mentally cackled as the man struggled to keep his eyes at a proper level. The disguise was perfect. No one would remember "Ryoshi Takara", not even the ticket attendant. All that would be remembered would be the outfit and the impression that "she" had been polite and rather attractive. "We have to write a report about the Yasuhiro family and exhibit. How much for a ticket?"

Stuttering and blushing, the man finally managed to inform Kaito that special exhibitions cost 650 yen for students. After paying for his ticket and thanking the man with another smile, Kaito skipped off into the main portion of the museum. A stop at the information booth provided him with flyers about the exhibit but a quick perusal revealed nothing he hadn't already learned through his previous research into the family and gemstone.

The Traveler's Tear itself was a large alexandrite, which Yasuhiro Masao had obtained in the early 1930s, during his time as Japan's ambassador to Italy. Despite his best efforts, he had been unable to learn more about the Tear's background or how Yasuhiro had come into possession of it. It had been found amongst his possessions after his passing in the late 1960s. The brochure went on to explain that the Yasuhiro family felt that the gem's name represented the heartache of lonely, troubled times and that the beauty of the gem served as a beacon of hope to those experiencing such times. Kaito snorted softly. _Load of hogwash if you ask me. Still, the background is mysterious enough to warrant a look._

"Takara" walked slowly through the various displays, apparently fascinated by all that the museum had to offer. Kaito, experienced at this type of reconnaissance, carefully noted the locations of cameras, sensors, and guards. Rooms, doors, elevators, and escalators were all marked off on his mental floor plan. Taking the stairs from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor, Kaito made a mental note to come back and explore the off-limits 4th floor. _It's marked off as storage. Could be useful. _The 5th floor provided little in the way of inspiration for the heist but the thief gave no outward sign of this, perusing the displays with the same interest he had shown in the other locations. _Ok, so the gem is displayed on the floor above this. Looks like there are a lot of ways to access that floor from here. I count three staircases and the elevator. Nakamori-keibu will have to cover all of them, plus the escalator from the third floor to the sixth floor and the escalator from the sixth floor down to here. Good. This can work in my favor._

With at least the beginnings of an escape route coming together, Kaito took to the stairs again, reaching the 6th floor at last. This floor was split into two parts, connected by a replica of the Nihonbashi Bridge. Heist plans began to take shape in his mind as he stood on the bridge, gazing down at the lifelike models of early Edo. The area which had been cordoned off for the Yasuhiro exhibit was on the larger of the two sections, the Tear itself prominently displayed in the middle. Kaito "admired" the models as he waited for the crowd around the Tear to thin a bit. As he waited, he allowed himself a grin, unseen in the dimness of the area. _This is going to make for a fabulous performance._

Moments later a large group broke off from the display and headed for the escalator that would take them down to the 5th floor. Kaito seized the opportunity and moved up to examine the display. Wary of appearing suspicious to the two guards positioned on either side of the display area he fell easily into the role of Takara. "Ooooh," he breathed in soft, awestruck voice. "It's so _beautiful_." He stared wide-eyed at the gem for a moment before visibly shaking himself out of it. "My report!" he exclaimed as he dug into his satchel, coming up a moment later with a notepad and pen. Using the excuse of taking diligent notes on the life and career of Yasuhiro Masao, Kaito examined the security arrangements as well as the gem itself. _It really is a beautiful piece. Its size and color make it look almost like a pale amethyst. The security seems pretty straightforward. This should be easy enough to have a bit of fun with the Task Force. Time to get a better look behind the scenes._

No staircases went up to the 7th floor, so Kaito headed for one of the two elevators. This floor consisted only of a café and the audiovisual library. He grabbed a quick bite to eat at the café, made a brief pass through the library, and then headed for the nearest restroom. _Good, no cameras. _Unfortunately, the restroom was occupied when he arrived so he stepped daintily into the nearest stall and waited. When he heard the other occupant leave he stepped out and placed a sign on the door. _Closed for cleaning, please use the one by the library._

Within minutes his costume change was complete and Kaito stepped out of the restroom, removing the sign as he did so. Wearing the nondescript clothes of the maintenance staff, Kaito once again caught the elevator. _Now to get a look at the 4__th__ floor._ The next couple of hours flew by as Kaito explored the employees-only areas of the museum, noting guard schedules, camera locations, security checkpoints and access routes. A brief stint in the air ducts provided a backup escape route. Satisfied at last, mind brimming with plans and ideas, Kaito changed once again and "Ryoshi Takara" headed to the train station.

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Monday morning found the students of Ekoda High gathered around the bulletin board showing their exam scores. Aoko stood slightly off to the side, nervously wringing her hands together and shifting from foot to foot as she worked up the nerve to check her scores. "Here goes nothing," she muttered as she edged into the crowd. A quick scan through the N's produced her score. Nakamori Aoko - 350 out of 400. A voice right next to her ear caused her to jump. "See? I told you that you were going to do fine."

"Yeah, what a relief." She turned to give Kaito a mock glare. "Will you quit sneaking up on me?" Kaito placed a hand over his heart and gave a dramatic sigh. "Ah, Aoko. You take all the fun out of life."

"You did really well." She gestured towards the Ks where Kuroba Kaito - 390 out of 400 was listed. "How you manage scores like that with all of your goofing off I'll never know." Keiko, one of Aoko's closest female friends, nudged Aoko. "Look, he even scored higher than Hakuba-san, though not by much. They're the top of the class." Sure enough there was Hakuba Saguru - 385 out of 400.

"Speak of the devil," Kaito muttered as Hakuba walked up. Aoko threw him a dirty look even as she turned to greet Hakuba with a smile. "Good morning, Hakuba-kun."

"Good morning, Aoko-chan, Momoi-chan, Kuroba-kun." Hakuba gave them all a polite bow and the others returned it with various degrees of enthusiasm. Keiko gave her apologies and headed off towards another group of friends. Turning back to Kaito and Aoko, Hakuba said, "Congratulations on your scores. You both did very well."

Kaito offered a friendly grin in return. "Thanks. Congrats on yours as well." Aoko seconded the congratulations with much more sincerity and warmth.

"I am pleased with results, but I am glad they are over. I fear my final exam scores may be less satisfactory as I must take my leave for a time and return to London."

Aoko looked startled. "What? Why? You just came back not too long ago."

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about, Aoko-chan. There are some family issues that require my presence." Aoko looked embarrassed and politely changed the subject after wishing him a safe trip. "Thank you, Aoko-chan. I'm sure everything will be fine and I'll be back in a few weeks." Kaito also wished Hakuba a safe trip, but privately he felt disappointed. _Well, this looks to be a boring heist after all._


	4. The Hook

_Authors' Note: Hello everyone! Believe it or not, we're not dead. We sincerely apologize for the long delay in posting this chapter. Real life severely interfered and both of the Giggle Twins have been sick. Also, this chapter has undergone much revision and the addition of about 1000 words. We hope you enjoy it and ask that you please review. While we certainly appreciate the alerts and favorites we've received we were both disappointed by the lack of reviews last chapter. While we would never hold a chapter hostage for reviews we do find them very inspirational and motivating._

_So on with the show and please review! (And don't kill us, we swear chapter five is nearly done as well.)_

**Chapter 4: The Hook**

**Wednesday May 26**

_A message arrived at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police headquarters late last night, signed with the Kaitou KID's distinctive caricature. The original message read as follows._

_**La luna piena guarda dal suo picco per il dolore di un vagabondo viaggio e sorrisi su colui che viene a togliere quel dolore.**_

_**(KID doodle)**_

_Sources report that the message baffled police until one enterprising officer realized the notice was written in Italian. According to translators the letter reads: __**The full moon looks down from its peak on the sorrow of a wanderer's journey and smiles upon the one who comes to take that sorrow away.**_

_While police are still working out the riddle's full meaning, is seems apparent that the heist will coincide with the full moon this Friday. Nakamori-keibu, head of the Kaitou KID Task Force, had this to say regarding the notice…_

A surge of joy shot through Conan as the paper fluttered out of his grasp. _A KID heist! Errr…should I really be this excited?_ Conan thought a little guiltily. A resigned sigh escaped him. _Ah, who am I trying to fool? Chasing that thief, trying to make sense out of his actions, it's always exhilarating._ _Truth is, this is just the break I need right now._ No sooner had he thought it then a jolt of realization shot through him, followed by crushing disappointment. _Damn it! I'm still grounded on Friday and I don't think Ran is going to relent enough to let me go._

It was now the fourth day of his grounding and Ran hadn't budged an inch in his punishment. He was only allowed to leave the house for school after which he was to come straight home. No stops, no detours, no tagging along on any of Mouri's cases, and absolutely no trips over to Agasa's house. Conan was suffocating under the crushing boredom of this routine. The only bright point in the entire affair was that Mouri had received no major cases in the last four days. The only client that had come by was for a case Mouri could handle easily enough on his own. In fact, he was off on that case currently, tailing a suspected con artist.

Conan reached for the abandoned paper, intending to read the rest of the article, curious as to what Nakamori's thoughts were on the notice. The sound of Ran's bedroom door opening interrupted him and he hastily shoved the newspaper into his backpack before Ran could see it. If she caught him with it there would be no hope of going to the heist. "Conan-kun? What are you doing?"

"Just checking to be sure I have my homework, Ran-neechan!" He gave her his best "I'm just a cute little boy" smile as he zipped up his backpack and hopped down from the breakfast table.

"OK, well hurry up and get your shoes. We need to leave or we'll be late to school."

"Hai!" He gave her a sunny smile and dashed off to get his shoes, seeming for all the world like the care-free boy he pretended to be.

00000

Conan's thoughts constantly returned to KID's heist notice as he and Ran made their way towards school. _Why did he write it in Italian? He's never done that before and he never does anything without a reason, it must be significant. I'll have to see if I can find out if any gems currently being displayed have Italian connections. What about the repetition of sorrow? He uses it twice._

Conan's thoughts were interrupted by a loud, cheery shout from behind them. "RAN-CHAN! Wait up!" Much to Conan's irritation, Ran tugged him to a stop to wait for Sonoko to reach them. The excitement on her face made Conan's heart sink. _She saw the paper. That means she's going to tell Ran about it._ Sure enough, no sooner had Sonoko reached them then she burst out, "Ran-chan, did you see the paper this morning? There's going to be a KID heist on Friday!"

"No, I didn't read the paper this morning. In fact, I didn't even see the paper this morning." She threw a suspicious look towards Conan who just blinked innocently at her and then morphed into excited little boy mode. "A KID heist? Really? Ran-neechan, can I go, please? If I'm really good 'til then? Please?"

"Yeah, come on Ran-chan, we can all go see Kid-sama!" For just a moment Conan thought he had been wrong, that Ran might relent. Then a chorus of young voices dashed his hopes completely. "A KID heist? Oooh, that'll be fun! Does this mean Conan isn't grounded anymore?" Ran's face closed off, a determined look on her face as she turned to face the Shonen-tantei.

"No, kids. I'm sorry, but no. Conan is grounded until Saturday and that's final."

"Awwwwww," was the chorused reply from the three real children while Conan allowed himself to slip into a true sulk, disappointment written all over his face and in the slump of his shoulders. Ai threw him a quietly sympathetic look before her usual impassivity settled back over her features. Ran turned back to Sonoko, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sonoko, I won't be able to go either. I'll need to stay home to keep an eye on Conan."

"Nonsense! Ran-chan, you're not the chibi's mother. Leave the shrimp with your dad and lets go have some fun."

Ran waved the kids off towards the grade school before replying to Sonoko, much to Conan's private disappointment. _Well, if she goes to the heist at least it'll be easier to sneak out of the house. For once the loudmouth might actually be useful._

00000

That night when Ran sent him to bed at 8 o'clock, Conan went with his usual grumbles of protest. They were only for show, however, Conan forcing himself not to seem eager to get to bed. Mouri was out drinking and playing mahjong so he would be undisturbed for the rest of the night. Once he was alone in the room he shared with Mouri, Conan set himself up for a night of research, tucking his laptop and a flashlight under his pillow and a notebook containing the newspaper with KID's notice under the futon. Then he lay down and pretended to be asleep. About an hour later the door was quietly pushed open and Ran stuck her head in, peering intently at him. Conan lay still, sprawled across his futon in the closest approximation he could create to how the Shonen-tantei slept during sleepovers and camping trips. He kept his breathing deep and regular until she withdrew, apparently satisfied that Conan was truly asleep.

Conan sat up as soon as Ran's footsteps retreated down the hall. Pulling out the supplies he had stashed earlier, he booted up his laptop, spread the newspaper out beside him, and balanced his notebook on the knee his laptop wasn't on. Then he began to work, turning the words and phrases of the heist note over and over in his mind, fingers flying over the keys of his laptop as he entered queries into his search engine. _A gem with Italian connections, that's the first thing to start with. And sorrow…something to do with sorrow…Aha! Got it!_ His eyes scrolled down the page, reading the brief history of the Traveler's Tear. _Wanderer's journey…traveler. Sorrow…tears. This has to be it. Now the timing. When is the full moon at its peak?_ Another quick search brought him the answer. _Okay, so it will be this Friday at midnight. That'll be a late night. With any luck Ran will sleep over at Sonoko's afterwards and she'll never know I was gone._

**00000**

Sonoko picked Ran up at the Mouri Detective Agency right after dinner on Friday. Before she left, Ran once again reminded her father that Conan was grounded and that under no circumstances was he to be allowed to out of the house. Predictably, after she left Kogoro proceeded to ignore Conan, choosing instead to settle in front of the TV for a Yoko marathon, complete with large quantities of beer. By the time 10:00 rolled around the only sounds coming from him were loud snores and the occasional mumble of "Yoko".

_Heh, no worries there. He'll never even notice I'm gone. Now I just have to be sure Ran doesn't see me at the heist. I'd best get going._ Conan slipped quietly out the door, locking it behind him. Once on the sidewalk he powered up his skateboard and took off towards Beika Station.

A short train ride later found him at the exit to the Ryogoku Station. Despite the hour, the crowds were already thick and Conan found himself weaving through a sea of legs to reach the front. _I really hate being short._ At long last Conan pushed between two pairs of legs and found himself at the police cordon set up around the museum. Two officers stood on either side of the entrance, keeping the crowd at bay. "Sorry folks, no entrance to the museum except for authorized personnel," was their oft repeated mantra.

_Damn it. Normally I can just get in with whomever I'm accompanying. Should have thought of this before. How am I going to get in?_ At that point fate intervened and a group of Task Force officers trotted up. "The perimeter is secure," reported the officer in the lead.

"Took you long enough. Nakamori's waiting on you for the follow up meeting."

"Sorry, sorry. Had a hard time with the crowd." Each officer submitted to the routine face pinch and trotted past the perimeter guards. Conan, small and unobtrusive, ducked under the cordon while the guards were busy with the late arrivals. This plan, as it turned out, was only a partial success. No sooner had Conan made it to the door of the museum then one of the officers, just coming around the corner, spotted him. "Hey, boy! Hold it!"

A hand grabbed hold of his shoulder and turned him around. The owner of the hand was a young officer who squinted at him for a moment before speaking again. "You're that Edogawa kid, aren't you? The one who's always following Detective Mouri around?" Conan nodded. "You shouldn't be here but Nakamori-keibu is going to blow his top if he has to delay this meeting any longer. Come with me and we'll see what he wants to do with you afterward." The officer took his hand and led him through the organized chaos that was police and senior museum staff in the middle of pre-heist preparations.

They came at last to the door of the first floor conference room. Even from ten feet away, Conan could hear Nakamori's bellowing. He winced. _This does not bode well for my being allowed to stay and participate. _The officer leading him by the hand took one of the remaining seats, gesturing to Conan to sit on the floor next to him. Conan grudgingly did as he was told. There was no point in antagonizing anyone right now by disobeying. He settled in to wait as Nakamori called the meeting to order.

00000

The young officer who had escorted Conan into the conference room propped his chin up on his hand, elbow resting on the chair's armrest. With his mouth thus partially obscured from view and all attention on Nakamori-keibu he allowed himself a small grin of amusement. _Thanks for getting me in without question, Tantei-kun. I'm not going to make this easy on you, though. For now, though, let's see what the Task Force has in store for me today._

"Listen up, men! As you're all aware, KID's target tonight is the large alexandrite known as the Traveler's Tear. According to his message he'll be arriving when the full moon is at its peak. That should be around midnight tonight." _Heh, he never seems to learn. I _always _get here early. _Nakamori turned on the projector, drawing their attention to the floor plans laid out there. "The stone is on the 6th floor, which can be reached from these points." He indicated the various access points using a small laser pointer. "He like big, flashy entrances so I'm sure he'll make use of the Nihonbashi Bridge, here. Therefore, I want teams one and two on this side of the bridge and teams three and four on the other side. The remaining teams have their assignments. Remember to watch all exits carefully. KID will _**not**_ be getting away this time!"

As the room erupted into shouts and roars of agreement the museum manager quickly stepped forward, raising his hands into the air for quiet. "Please, do not destroy or damage any of the exhibits! I must ask that you use extreme caution in your apprehension of this criminal!" Task Force members nodded their understanding as they began to trickle out of the conference room, each headed for their assigned position. _Your turn, Tantei-kun. Let's go have a little fun._

KID stood, tugging Conan to his feet. "Let's go, boyo. Time to talk to Nakamori-keibu." Years of practicing poker face allowed him to keep a perfectly straight face as Conan groaned. "Keibu! Sorry to interrupt you but I thought you should know I found the Edogawa boy sneaking in to the museum." _Wow, that's not the fastest I've ever seen him turn purple but it's right up there._

"Edogawa-kun! What the he…ck do you think you're doing here? This is police business, not a child's playground!" KID saluted and hurried off as if going to his assigned post, leaving the shrunken detective in Nakamori's tender care. _He'll find a way to stay but _I_ sure don't want to get stuck on detective sitting duty. Talk about ruining everything._ As he passed through the open doorway he heard Nakamori growling behind him, "Just stay out of everyone's way." _Heh, knew it._

00000

_Three minutes 'til show time. _The atmosphere in the museum was thick with tension and so quiet you could hear the rustling of clothing as officers shifted about, eyeing the clock and their surroundings as they counted down. The light of the full moon shone brightly through the windows, occasionally disrupted by the beam of a helicopter mounted searchlight. Although the sound did not penetrate into the museum, KID could easily envision the helicopters hovering about the museum and the crowd outside cheering his name as they anticipated the upcoming show. _One minute._

"This is it, men! Be ready!" Nakamori bellowed into the stillness. The newbies jumped, startled, while the Task Force veterans merely nodded, well used to this. _Three, two, one. _A sudden roar of the crowd was loud enough to be heard inside and Nakamori's radio crackled to life. "Sir! KID is approaching the museum on his glider." A brief pause and then, "What the hell? Sir, he just flew _through_ the wall!"

"**LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,"** KID called out, voice echoing from all sides. No sooner had he spoken then smoke began to pour out from beneath the Nihonbashi Bridge even as KID appeared in its center. **"Ah, Nakamori-keibu, what a charming welcoming committee you've prepared for me tonight. It's quite a full house in here."**

"KID! Get him!" Task Force members leaped into motion all around the bridge, chosen teams hurling forward to dog pile on the thief. For his part, KID showed no concern over this turn of events. **"Now, really, Keibu. Is that any way to treat a person who is trying to dry a traveler's tear?" **KID gave a cocky wave and the lights went out all over the museum even as more smoke poured forth from the bridge and a few of the displays. Despite the illumination from outside, the sudden change in lighting and the presence of the smoke was enough for those present to lose sight of the thief.

"Damn it! Get those lights back on!" A fit of coughing abruptly broke off Nakamori's shouts as he inhaled some of the smoke. A loud bang cut through the clamor and the smoke ceased. Those officers who had been involved in the dog pile managed to untangle themselves and regain their feet. As Nakamori straightened up from his coughing fit, his eyes fell on the Tear's display case. It was empty. "No! Damn it! Check all the exits, he couldn't have gotten far!" In a rush of pounding feet, the Task Force stampeded from the room.

_Heh, that would be my cue._ There was a quiet click from somewhere nearby, nearly inaudible, that made KID freeze. A quick peek showed him nothing unexpected and he moved out from his hiding spot beneath the bridge. Silent footsteps carried him quickly to the Tear's case where he tugged off the reflective sheet which had made the case appear to be empty.

"I must admit, KID-san, that was not a bad trick." The voice from behind him made his heart leap into his throat, but he showed no outward sign of this, turning with a wide grin to greet his smallest pursuer. "Ah, Tantei-kun, I was wondering where you had gotten to. I take it you enjoyed the show?"

A shrug. "It wasn't that hard to figure out what you were doing. The KID outside was obviously a dummy, as was the one on the bridge. You obviously used the darkness and smoke to hide your movements when you covered the display case and the bang we heard was the dummy exploding."

KID clapped appreciatively, still grinning. "Not bad, Tantei-kun, not bad. Is it any wonder you're my favorite little critic?"

"Well, here's a favorite of mine." Conan popped a soccer ball out of his belt and kicked it at KID in a practiced, lightning fast move. KID barely had time to throw himself to the side as the ball whizzed by him, missing him by millimeters. It slammed full force into the display unit that had been directly behind him. Glass and gem went flying and both thief and detective froze for a moment. "Baka," KID murmured, even as his eyes darted across the wreckage, trying to locate the gem. _Where is it? It ought to be visible even in the moonlight. _His eyes fell on an object large enough to be the Tear and of the proper shape, but it shown blue in the moonlight rather than the familiar purple. At the same moment Conan threw himself forward, racing to get the gem ahead of KID. A feeling of foreboding settled in KID's stomach and he hurled himself forward as well, not to grab the gem but to keep Conan from touching it. "NO! Stop!" His hand wrapped around Conan's smaller fist, even as Conan's wrapped around the gem, wrists just brushing below KID's gloves. There was a brilliant flash of light.


	5. The Tale

_Authors' Note: Thank you for sticking with us through our long delays, dear readers. In an effort not to leave you waiting even longer, we bring you the first __half__ of chapter 5. The remainder is under way but is still awaiting revisions that real life has kept us from making. As soon as they are complete we will repost this chapter in its entirety. _

_As a special thank you and treat to our readers, we have included a short Omake at the end which we hope will amuse you. Virtual chocolates to anyone who recognizes it, and no, we don't own that either._

**Chapter 5: The Tale**

Shinichi blinked rapidly as the light faded, trying to restore his vision. _Damn it, KID! What did you…do?_ His thoughts trailed off in shock as he realized that not only was he not holding the Tear anymore, he was looking down at Conan, whose hand he gripped in his own white gloved hand. _What the…? No way! This is impossible!_ Before he could reboot his mind enough to deal with the impossibility he was facing, Conan reversed the grip, yanking firmly on his hand as he hurried away from the broken display and the sounds of the Task Force hurrying back towards them. "Process later, Tantei-kun. Run now!"

_Is that KID? It must be._ Shinichi found himself hurrying after "Conan" to avoid being dragged as his mind still tried to comprehend what was happening. _Oh Kami, if this really is what it looks like, he's right. If the Task Force sees me like this it won't be __him __they arrest, it'll be __me__._ KID opened the stairwell door, motioning Shinichi to silence as he listened to the approaching voices.

"What was that crash?"

"Don't know, but it sounded like it came from back at the display. We'd best hurry and check it out. Radio in to Nakamori-keibu and let him know."

"Right." _Why, oh why, did I have to go and break the display case?_ Shinichi thought, dread twisting his gut. No one would ever believe his story and he did not have KID's skills at vanishing. Just as Shinichi was about to ask if KID had any bright ideas, he felt fingers pluck one of the cufflinks off his wrist and a voice say, "Hold your breath."

A quick flick of KID's fingers and the cufflink went sailing down the stairwell, pink smoke billowing up from where it struck. Even before it landed, KID was in motion again, tugging Shinichi down the stairs in the wake of the cufflink. Shinichi, no longer used to being tall, found himself tripping and stumbling as he attempted to make strides with legs that weren't the proper size. The railing was quickly becoming his new best friend, saving him several times from taking a header down the stairs. It was hard to judge whether the thief was having any of the same difficulties. KID's face gave nothing away and he moved with a deliberate grace down steps and around unconscious officers.

They stopped on the 4th floor landing for a few seconds as KID picked the lock on the door. Shinichi got the distinct impression that this would have been achieved even faster had KID been in his proper form.

00000

Kaito quickly closed and relocked the door as soon as they were both safely in the storage area. For just a moment he allowed himself to slump forward, forehead resting against the door as the enormity of what had just happened finally hit him. _Holy cow, there really are magical gems! How am I going to explain this? What am I going to do? Oh, Kami, Tantei-kun will see my face! OK, pull yourself together, Kaito. Remember Poker Face._ He straightened up, turning from the door to face the detective. As it turned out, there was no need for him to have worried about Shinichi noticing his momentary lapse. The detective was slumped against a crate, muttering under his breath.

"This isn't happening…this isn't possible…going to do…"

"Snap out of it, Tantei-kun! This can't be any more impossible than you somehow shrinking from seventeen to seven." His response was a heated glare.

"Are you trying to tell me you're _not_ freaking out about this? That somehow you're _used_ to this?"

KID shrugged one shoulder slightly. "Hey, when you're hunting magical gems you have to expect things like this." _NOT! What am I going to do?_

Shinichi shook his head, frustration evident on his face. "I don't believe in magic. There has to be some rational explanation for this. A gemstone cannot make people switch bodies."

"Whatever you say, Tantei-kun, but we can't stay like this so put your deductive skills to good use. What could have caused this?" KID watched Shinichi struggle through his fear and frustration, the emotional battle evident on his face as he wrestled with the conflict between his disbelief and the only facts available to them. At last he sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I don't understand how it's possible. A gemstone should _not_ be able to do this, but you're right. We _can't_ stay like this and I can't come up with any other explanation." His gaze fell on the Traveler's Tear, once again held in KID's small hands. In the little bit of light present, the stone looked much the same as it had when he had seen it in its case before the heist. KID was also gazing at the gem. _It's purple again…_"Hey, Tantei-kun? Did you happen to notice that the color was different right before you grabbed it?"

Shinichi paused, an arrested look on his face. "Is that why you hesitated? I just assumed it was the lighting, but maybe…" He trailed off and KID understood that he was once again struggling with the concept of real magic. KID nodded thoughtfully, "The stone did land in front of the windows. Perhaps it was an effect of the moonlight?" _It just would be moonlight, wouldn't it? And it's not even Pandora because it didn't glow red and I don't think anybody would count this as immortality._

Predictably, Shinichi took this the wrong way, accepting the color change as merely an illusion from the moonlight. "So what could have caused this? We did both grab the gem, perhaps if we attempted that again?" _Can't hurt, anyway. No point in dashing his hopes without even attempting it. I'd bet my monocle that the color change and the moonlight had something to do with it, though._ Out loud he said, "Sure. Why not?" He held his hand out, gem resting on his palm in invitation. Shinichi reached out as well, fingers resting lightly atop the gem. Nothing happened.

Further discussion was interrupted by the sounds of thundering footsteps, Task Force officers rushing to the aid of their fallen comrades. KID threw a wary look at the locked door. "We don't have a lot of time before they think to check here. We'd best get going."

Shinichi winced, obviously thinking of how this would look to outsiders, and nodded an affirmative. Then he froze, a horrified look flashing across his face. "What about the cameras? It'll look like I'm helping you."

KID snorted and threw Shinichi an offended look. "Give me some credit, Tantei-kun. It's not like I wanted my trick caught on camera. I disabled them before the heist. We're both in the clear there." A self-satisfied look appeared on his face. "Bet they're having a heck of a time getting the system back on-line." Shinichi seemed to accept this and he nodded again. "OK, let's get out of here. This way."

KID led the way to the ventilation system he had scoped out a few days before. "I won't be able to reach like this, Tantei-kun. You'll have to climb up first, then pull me up. I already loosened the cover."

"Where will this take us?"

"We'll exit from another shaft outside the museum, near one of the rear "legs". It's pretty hidden from sight and we should be able to disappear into the crowd from there." Here he paused, eyeing Shinichi critically. "Of course, you won't be able to disappear anywhere wearing my suit. Take off the jacket, hat, and monocle and put these on." As he spoke, KID pulled out a small box that had been placed behind some of the larger storage crates and handed Shinichi the ball cap and Edo-Tokyo souvenir sweatshirt contained within.

Shinichi, spurred on by the noise of the Task Force as it moved closer to their location, changed rapidly and in minutes they were up in the vents, KID pausing to replace the cover. Unbeknownst to each other, the same thought was running through their minds. _I really hope we can switch back once we're outside because there is no way I am letting him out of my sight with my body._

00000

Shinichi wished for the hundredth time since entering the air vents that he had a tenth of KID's stealth. The thief crawled along behind him, giving the occasional whispered direction and otherwise making no noise. For himself, Shinichi felt as though he was making enough noise to bring every cop in the place down on them and he cringed with every shuffle and clang he made, real or imagined. The stupid cap was not helping, brim obscuring his vision if he did not keep his head tilted to the proper angle. Finally an exasperated whisper reached his ears, "If it's giving you that much trouble just turn it around like your friend Hattori." Shinichi felt the heat rush to his face at the obvious suggestion and was glad KID was behind him so he couldn't see the blush.

At length KID whispered, "This is it," and they paused before another vent. KID pressed forward to peer through the vent before giving the all clear. Shinichi carefully moved the cover, peering out of the opening. Task Force officers patrolled the perimeter of the building and he could see the crowd of yelling KID fans some thirty feet away, pressed against the police perimeter. "Now what?" he whispered to KID. He peered down towards the ground. This vent was pretty high up and he didn't see an obvious way to get down. In answer, KID reached up, just above the opening and pulled down a thin line with a hook attached to the end. This was swiftly fastened around Shinichi's waist.

"This will lower you pretty steadily but you can rappel a little if you need to. Stay in the shadows and don't move too quickly, it draws attention." Shinichi nodded and did as KID instructed. _Well, _Shinich thought sardonically, _if nothing else comes of this situation, at least I have a better idea of the kind of preparation he does for his heists. _To his surprise, KID reached out and grabbed the line once Shinichi was partly down, simply holding on as the line lowered, then dropping to the ground himself after Shinichi touched down.

"Time for the KID to make his escape," KID said and Shinichi turned to stare incredulously at him. _What? He can't be serious._ Before he could say anything, KID held up a remote control and pressed a button. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then the crowd went wild, chanting KID's name. _Of course, he must have sent off one of his dummies._

"That's our cue, Tantei-kun. Turn the hat back around and let's go." Shinichi yanked the brim back over his eyes as he and KID made a break for the crowd while everyone's attention was directed towards the dummy. In moments they were just two more faces in the crowd. At last the crowd began to break up and they worked their way through the mass of people until they stood on the fringes, backed up against a building to prevent the crowd from drawing them along with it. "Now what?" Shinichi questioned, so softly that KID had to strain to hear him over the din of the departing crowd. "You know Yokoami-cho Park, a few blocks from here?"

"Yeah, I know it."

"Let's head there. We can figure out our next move." Shinichi nodded his agreement and the two of them plunged back into the crowd. By unspoken accord they stayed as close together as possible, neither trusting the other enough to risk being separated.

It didn't take them long to reach the park. They settled themselves carefully under a tree. Well, Shinichi was under the tree. KID, with his usual penchant for heights, had somehow managed to wedge himself into the fork of the tree. Shinichi leaned back against the trunk, feeling some of the tension drain out of his current body now that they were in a place of relative safety. KID leaned down from his current perch. "Shall we try this again, Tantei-kun?" He extended an empty hand to Shinichi but before Shinichi could do more than raise an eyebrow a flick of KID's wrist caused the Tear to appear in his palm.

_Show off, _Shinichi thought, surprising himself with how bitter he sounded even in his own head. _Am I really that annoyed by how calmly he seems to be taking all of this?_ He let none of these thoughts show on his face though, merely nodding his head in response to KID's question. "What did you have in mind?"

00000

KID moved his hand so the gem lay fully in the moonlight. "I thought we'd try to recreate the circumstances under which we switched, now that we have some moonlight to work with." The gem in his palm stayed stubbornly purple and KID's heart sank. _I was afraid of this. I __know__ it was blue. Damn it! The first magical gem I've come across and it's not even close to being Pandora._

Shinichi was eyeing the stone skeptically. "Back at the museum you said it was blue before I grabbed it? It looks the same to me now as it did before. It must have been a trick of the light."

KID shook his head. "Tantei-kun, Tantei-kun. Didn't we already have this conversation? It's _magic_. Believe me, I know exactly what I saw and that gem was the same blue as the light when we switched." Shinichi looked uncomfortable with this idea and KID knew that his oh so logical mind was still balking at the thought of magic being real. After a moment of silence the detective shot a frustrated look up into the branches of the tree saying, "Look, let's just try again, okay?"

"Alright, you grabbed it first, then I grabbed you. I think our wrists were touching." He closed his now small hand over the gem and waited for Shinichi to reach for him. After a moments hesitation the detective did so, larger hand engulfing KID's and the gem. Nothing happened. "Okay, we want to reverse the switch, so maybe we need to touch it in reverse order?" KID relinquished the gem to Shinichi, then laid his hand atop the other's. Nothing happened.

After several more failed attempts, they found themselves staring at each other in frustration and not a little trepidation. "Now what?"

**OMAKE**

KID threw a wary look at the locked door. "We don't have a lot of time before they think to check here. We'd best get going."

Shinichi winced, obviously thinking of how this would look to outsiders, and nodded an affirmative. Then he froze, a horrified look flashing across his face. "What about the cameras? It'll look like I'm helping you."

KID snorted and threw Shinichi an offended look. "Give me some credit, Tantei-kun. It's not like I wanted my trick caught on camera. I disabled them before the heist. We're both in the clear there." A self-satisfied look appeared on his face. "Bet they're having a heck of a time getting the system back on-line."

_Meanwhile, in the control room…_

A miniature bobble-head KID stared out of the computer monitors at the officers in the room. The small index fingered waved back and forth in a scolding manner and his voice issued from the speakers. "Uh-uh-uh, you didn't say the magic word. Uh-uh-uh, you didn't say the magic word."

Nakamori slammed both fists down on the desk. "Oh, come on! Damn it, KID! I'm going to kill that *&!$ theif!"


	6. Houston, We Have a Plan

_Author's Note: Please, please, please don't kill us! Look, we have a shiny new chapter just for you! We're very sorry it took so long (blame Giggle Twin 2). As a result of the long wait we've decided to post the second half of chapter 5 as its own separate chapter. Chapter 6 is well underway and should be along shortly (and yes, we know, we've said that before). _

_We'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank all of our readers (and especially our reviewers!). We're so glad you're enjoying the story. We would be nothing without you. _

_Also, just a little side note. The name we gave to Shinichi in this chapter, "Hideki", means "Splendid Opportunity". _

**Chapter 5b: Houston, We Have a Plan**

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this," Shinichi grumbled as he and KID made their way to the Mouri Detective Agency. The look KID shot him would have been rather more intimidating if it didn't come from waist height. "Like you had a better idea? I'm not letting you run around in my life."

"Well, you're not running around in mine!"

"See? That's why I was able to talk you into this," KID returned with a grin. _Oi oi, _Shinichi thought. That it was true did not make it any less irritating. The nearly deserted streets meant that no one was there to hear them arguing, a fact which KID was unfortunately taking full advantage of. "I must say, Tantei-kun, I'm very touched that you risked getting into trouble with the lovely Mouri-san to come and watch my performance."

"Don't flatter yourself, KID. I would never let you or any other criminal get away with something just because 'Conan' was grounded. At any rate, we're here so you'd best…" The rest of Shinichi's warning was cut off as KID, having picked the lock on the door before Shinichi was aware of what he was doing, stepped through it. Ran's furious voice nearly sent the detective back down the steps and he instinctively flattened himself against the wall outside.

"_Where have you been? How __dare__ you sneak out! Do you have any idea what time it is? It's four o'clock in the morning! I've been going out of my mind with worry!"_ Ran seemed to be working herself into quite a state and Shinichi found himself more than a little grateful that her ire was directed at KID and not at him. That's when a small hand reached back through the doorway and yanked him inside.

00000

Kaito allowed himself a small grin as Mouri-san's tirade ceased abruptly, gaze riveted on the newcomer in the doorway. _I did a good job with him, even if I do say so myself._ The detective looked nothing like either himself or Kuroba Kaito, appearing instead to be a man in his mid-thirties. His brown hair and goatee were neatly trimmed and styled, and despite a somewhat pudgy build he had an air of dignity about him. The disguised detective offered Mouri-san a polite bow.

"Forgive me, Mouri-san, for coming at such a late hour. I'm Edogawa Hideki. It's a pleasure to meet you at last." Kaito had to give Mouri-san credit, she recovered herself quickly and returned the bow.

"You would be Conan-kun's father then? Forgive me, please, for my rude display."

"I'm the one who should be asking for your forgiveness, Mouri-san. I had not intended to cause you worry. It's just that I had some rather upsetting news for Conan-kun and thought perhaps the heist would help cheer him back up."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Please, come in. Can I get you some tea?" The three of them moved into the interior of the apartment, Shinichi turning down Mouri-san's offer with a polite shake of his head. "Thank you, Mouri-san, but I'm afraid not. You see my wife is very ill and has been hospitalized back in the States. I've come to bring Conan back with me until she gets better. Our flight leaves in just a couple of hours."

Kaito found himself feeling rather sorry for Mouri-san as she looked stricken at the news. "Oh! I'm so sorry to hear about Fumiyo-san. I hope she'll be all right. Will…" her voice trailed off for a moment before she gathered herself together to finish her thought. "Will Conan-kun be staying with you once she is better?"

Shinichi was quick to shake his head, sounding both apologetic and reassuring as he replied, "No my dear, we are still both so busy and you've been doing such a wonderful job of looking after him. As soon as my wife is better we'll be returning Conan-kun to your care." Mouri-san looked incredibly relieved at this, though she did an admirable job of attempting to conceal it. "Thank you, Edogawa-san. If you will excuse me for a moment, I will help Conan-kun get packed."

00000

"Did you get everything I asked you to?"

Kaito threw an annoyed glance at the detective walking beside him. "Give me some credit, Tantei-kun. Of course I did." He glanced at his watch as they rounded the final corner leading to Agasa-hakase's. "It's only a quarter to five, are you sure they'll be up?"

Shinichi nodded, stifling a yawn as he did so. "They're both early risers as it is and Haibara is very particular about Agasa developing healthy habits. She should have him up for a morning jog by the time we get there." Kaito fell silent again, thoughts whirling furiously through his mind as he tried to plan his next moves. At length he spoke again. "Now this Haibara girl knows the truth about you?"

"Yes, she does. Which is why no disguise will work. I hate the idea of sending you in there as me but I can't see any way around it."

"Any ideas where we can go once you're completely free of your keepers?" The annoyed look the detective threw at him for the comment was well worth any trouble that came of it. "Unfortunately, I don't. We've agreed we can't stay in Tokyo, there's too much risk involved. We can't go to Osaka for the same reasons. Too many people there might recognize Conan and we can't run the risk of Hattori getting involved. Maybe Agasa-hakase will have an idea." They stopped in front of the Kudo mansion, Shinichi unlatching the gate as he spoke. "I should be done packing by the time you're finished next door." The detective turned to walk up the path, leaving Kaito standing on the sidewalk. Kaito allowed him to take a few steps before bringing his wrist up, the crosshairs of the watch aimed squarely at the back of Shinichi's neck. _Sorry, Tantei-kun. I don't trust you alone with my face yet. You might get too curious._

Two minutes later Kaito was leaning against the front of the Kudo mansion as he attempted to catch his breath. _Yeesh, who knew I was that heavy? I'd best hurry, Tantei-kun is not going to be happy when he wakes up._ He jogged back down the path, carefully closing the gate behind him.

00000

The small girl currently staring him down was far more intimidating than many of the opponents he had faced since taking up his father's mantle, Kaito reflected wryly. He gave her a small smile, wracking his memory for as many of Shinichi's mannerisms as he could recall. _Feels like she's staring right through me. It's creepy. _"Look, I'm sorry to bother you this early in the morning, but it _is_ important. It's for a case."

Agasa's laughing voice came from behind him as the professor reappeared in the room with a tray full of coffee mugs. "Are you sure you're not just trying to avoid trouble with Ran-chan after staying out at the heist all night?" Conan laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ehh, Ran was pretty mad at me, but I've already taken care of it. I had the client pose as Conan's father. The point is that I need to focus on this case and I can't solve it here in Tokyo. I need to leave for awhile."

Haibara cocked her head, "And just who is this client, Kudo-kun?" _And here's where things get tricky._

"Out of respect for my client I can't reveal his identity but I promise you it's safe. I wouldn't be asking you for help if it wasn't. I just wanted to let you know what was going on and ask you if you had any ideas where we could go to work on this in peace for awhile. It may take a month or so."

Haibara still looked skeptical but Agasa seemed to be considering the request. "Well…ah! I have it! Shinichi-kun, do you remember that cabin I have outside of Tsuru Village? I haven't been there in awhile but it ought to be in decent condition."

"Thank you, hakase, that will be perfect!"

Agasa nodded. "Give me a moment, I'll get you the key. Just, please, be careful, Shinichi." He waited for Conan's nod of agreement before setting his coffee mug down and departing. No sooner was he out of earshot then Haibara fixed Conan with a piercing look. "Does this have anything to do with _Them_, Kudo-kun?" _Them? What is that supposed to mean?_ Conan shook his head. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't. You really don't have to worry." Haibara nodded sharply, accepting this reassurance for the moment, though Kaito could still see doubts lingering in her eyes. Agasa returned then, handing Conan a key and a few written directions, admonishing him once again to be careful. A few more reassurances on Conan's part and he was back outside, jogging back to check on the (hopefully) still unconscious detective.

Reassured that Shinichi would not recover consciousness forseveral minutes yet, Kaito put the next step of his plan into motion. On the walk over he had noted the closest pay phone, now he headed for it at as rapid a pace as he dared. The number he dialed was one he knew well and he suspected the person on the other end would be anxiously awaiting his call. This suspicion proved correct when the phone was snatched up on the first ring.

"Moshi moshi, Jii."

"Young Master! Are you alright? What happened?" Doing his best to manipulate vocal chords unused to different ranges, Kaito responded in as close to his normal voice as he could muster. "I'm sorry, Jii. Things didn't go exactly as planned tonight. I'm fine but I need to stay out of sight for awhile. Please make my excuses to Kaasan and keep an eye on her for me. I'll be in contact with you as soon as I can."

"But, Young Master! What happened? You don't sound like your usual self."

"I'm sorry, Jii, I can't explain right now. I'll be in touch." Kaito hung up, stretching almost as high as his current body could reach to replace the phone in its cradle. _Gah! How does Tantei-kun deal with being this __short__ all the time? _Shaking his head to clear it of unnecessary thoughts, Kaito hurried back to the detective. _My throat hurts. Gonna have to do some vocal exercises._

00000

Miles away Jii slowly lowered his cell phone, a troubled expression on his face. _What in the world have you gotten yourself into now?_ After a few moments hesitation he raised the phone once more, pressing in a quick sequence of numbers. The phone was answered after only a couple of rings by a sleepy sounding Kuroba Chikage, no doubt just arriving home from her shift. "Chikage, listen to me. Kaito's fine but we are going to have to pull a Toichi." This statement was followed by a startled silence before her voice answered him, firm and unwavering. "I'll set something up. Tell him to be careful."

00000

Shinichi groaned, eyes fluttering open. A small face hovered over his own. " Oh good, you're awake! Sorry about that, it was an accident. I've made good use of the time, though. We're staying at Agasa's cabin. Let's get you packed and catch our train."


End file.
